|
DPCA BREEDERS EDUCATION Q &
A - 2003 PAGE 2 |
Q: from
Maria Martinez
Date: September 8, 2003
Time: 21:12:12
Comments: Doberman Health
Hi. My Doberman puppy is 15 weeks old and
weighs 29 lbs. After the ear cropping he became sick and lost weight. I was
wondering how much he should be weighing now and is his height doing good as
well.
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Just weighing a puppy is not going to tell you if he/she is over, under or
normal weight because every pup grows differently. The best way to judge
this is to just look at the dog. Are any ribs or hipbones showing? Does he
look thin to you or fat? You didn't mention why he became sick and how long
ago it was and if he gained his normal weight
back at all.
Talk to his breeder or someone who knows the Doberman breed that can see him
and ask them if the pup is in good weight.
Q:
from Sheila
Date: September 9, 2003
Time: 20:00:37
Comments: Doberman Health
I have a 4 month old Dobie. At first she had
these things under her neck that looked like moles. I took off her collar to
see if they would go away but she keeps getting more on other parts of her
body. What are they and what should I do. The Vet doesn't have any idea.
Thank you.
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Most moles are caused by a virus of some sort. I'd take the dog to another
Vet or a Dermatologist Vet for another opinion.
If it's bumps it could be from Staph but a Vet is the only one who can
diagnose and treat something like this.
Q:
from Teri Hoke
Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2003
Time: 18:03:40
Comments: Breeding the Doberman
When should I expect my Dobe to go into heat
for the first time? She is now almost 7 months old.
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Bitches come into season anytime from
6 months of age to 15 months. Occasionally I've
heard of some coming in at 5 months but the average is about 8 or 9 months
of age.
Q: from Roland R. Ryall
Date: Tuesday, September 2, 2003
Time:10:39:34
Comments: Grading the Doberman Puppy
I am troubled by the answer on Doberman's
coats...are cowlicks acceptable when showing or are points taken away?
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Hello Roland,
You didn't say where you are from. In Australia and England Cowlicks are
frowned upon.
Here in the U.S. and Canada, they are not taken into consideration. Many,
many of the top Dobes have had cowlicks of varying sizes and shapes on the
nose, neck, shoulder, end of rib cage, and under the throat.
I always look for them in my own litters as most of those in by breeding
have been the best ones when they have a cowlick.
Q:
from Holly Broughton
Date: Monday, September 1, 2003
Time: 23:51:48
Comments: WAE and Hives?
Hello,
I am not sure if you can help with this or
not but I am very interested in having my Doberman bitch go through the
WAE. I am not sure how to find out when they hold the tests in my area or
maybe they don't. I live in North Central MN. I tried contacting the
Doberman club in the Twin Cities, but received no response. Any info would
be greatly appreciated.
I am considering breeding her later on down
the road but of course that would be after the necessary health tests are
done. I am currently showing her in the breed and obedience.
You mentioned that they should have the WAE
done before breeding takes place but would it be wrong to breed her if there
is not a test in my area and therefore I cannot get it done. I want to try
to do everything right as best I can.
I plan on continuing with the obedience (she
already has two legs toward her CDX at 22 months old) and is a CGC and a
certified therapy dog (TDI) so she has had temperament testing done in those
respects.
Also when I take her to shows she breaks out
in hives on her neck and back but they usually start getting better towards
the end of the weekend and of course are completely gone when I return
home. Have you seen this before, other people have told me it is probably
just stress related. She doesn't act stressed though and is a very easy
going girl. We have a Dane that does the same thing. Thanks for your time
and sorry this is so long!
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Your bitch sounds like she has a lovely disposition. No, it's not necessary
for her to have a WAE certificate before breeding but it is helpful as are
other factors. You say you show your bitch in breed. I take it then she's
show quality. I'd contact her breeder for info on a suitable stud dog for
her as well.
You might contact Terri Devlin (DDecodobes@aol.com)
and she might be able to
give you some info on any WAE tests in the MN area.
As to breaking out in hives, it sounds like it might possibly be bathing
her prior to showing. It sometimes causes hives if the shampoo is not mild
enough or more importantly, if she is not rinsed thoroughly. Make sure she is
rinsed completely under legs and belly and soapy water doesn't get between
her toes that isn't rinsed off. Since this also happens to your Dane as
well this might be the cause. Also, re-consider any coat sprays or anything
you might put on her before being shown.
*** *** ***
A:
from Darlene Young, Darwin
Dobermans,
USA
For WAE tests in
your area, I believe you can go to the DPCA web site and there should be a
link to test dates and locations. That's www.dpca.org. Good luck.
Q: from Cathy
Tilley
Date: Monday, September 1, 2003
Time: 06:03:54
Comments: Where
did my Doberman come from?
I rescued a 3 month old Dobie from our
animal shelter. He has a tattoo on his inner right leg/thigh area. I think
its a breeder's tattoo: BD67. I adore this dog and would love to find his
origin to possibly buy another. Thank-you!
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Since this is not a national tattooing number,
it may be the breeder's initials and the number might be the number of pups
this breeder has had. Its just a thought.
There really is no way other than the
information the shelter might give you to find out the origin of this pup.
I sure as heck wouldn't try to find this breeder to buy another pup. He
obviously didn't care where THIS one went. Just love it and find a good,
reputable, ethical breeder for your next pup.
A:
from Darlene Young, Darwin Dobermans, USA
I believe
tattoos are very difficult to trace unless someone recognizes the type of
tattoo.
You might try
contacting a rescue organization in your area as they are fairly familiar
with the local breeders and their habits. There may be one that uses
tattoos such as you describe.
Q:
from Gilbert
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2003
Time: 10:50:24
Comments:
Breeding the Doberman
The vet already saw my Dobe and he said that
it's okay because its not yet been a month. So why am I worried? The vet
only prescribed medicine that could stop the bleeding but still I'm worried.
She is still bleeding but only a few drops the color of which is black mixed
with red. It's already been 6 days and she still has spotting.
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
My suggestion is to see another Vet that specializes in
breeding.
Q:
from Sandra Menders
Date: Wednesday, August 27,
2003
Time: 19:54:46
Comments: Tail Docking
We
had all the Doberman puppies
tails docked at 3 days old.
Mom kept licking the stitches
out. I brought the puppies in
3 times to the vets to have
them stitched again but Mom
still licked them out. Know
the puppies are going to have
scar tissue on the ends. Can
they be fixed when we have the
ears cropped??
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Many, many bitches lick out
stitches. Most breeders stay
glued to the whelping box 24/7
for the first week after
docking. Even then these
bitches will find a way to get
to them.
The best advice is to leave
the tails alone and wait until
docking time and have them
re-done if they are bad.
Usually once the stitches are
removed the bitch leaves them
alone. Many breeders have
tried to glue the tails with
some success, others try no
stitches and some have even
tried using sheep castration
instruments that put a rubber
band around the tail and it
slowly slough's off. All
these things have had some
success but many have not been
any better.
Do
not wait until cropping to
dock tails however. It is a
major operation and quite
painful unless absolutely
necessary.
*** *** ***
A:
from Darlene Young, Darwin Dobermans,
USA
Yes the tails can be re-docked
at ear cropping time. If the
scar tissue is not attached to
the bone it's very easy to
clip it off and stitch it back
up. Sometimes the tails will
heal from an over zealous mom
without even leaving scar
tissue. I would leave them
alone until you have the ears
done. They may not be as bad
as they seem now.
Q:
from Gilbert
Date: Monday, August 25, 2003
Time: 07:29:56
Comments: Breeding the
Doberman
I've a problem
with my female Doberman...she
already finish her stud
session and after 18 days she
had spotting again. Is there a
possibility that she could
lose her puppies if she is
pregnant?
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
It's not unusual for a bitch
to spot a couple weeks after
breeding. Sometimes it means
nothing and sometimes she is
aborting the fetus'. Take the
bitch to the Vet immediately
to make sure she doesn't have
an infection or pyometra.
I've had it occur with no
problems and have had a normal
litter as well but be on the
safe
side and take her right away
to the Vet.
Q:
from Sandra Menders
Date: August 24, 2003
Time: 18:42:54
Comments: Grading the
Doberman Puppy
Why do a couple of my Doberman
Puppies have white patches on
their chest?
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
There is a spotting gene in
the Doberman. We try and
breed for no spots but on
occasion, they will pop up.
It's a fault but just a few
white hairs is not. A spot
over 1/2 inch is very faulty
in the show ring.
Q:
from Craig Rallion
Date: Wednesday, August 20,
2003
Time: 22:34:15
Comments: Doberman Growth
My
brother is worried because his
Doberman at 12 months is only
24 inches tall while my
Doberman at 10 months is
already 27 inches tall. Both
dogs have the same father.
Will his dog still grow
taller? What is the ideal
height of a Doberman at 1 year
of age?
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Well, just as in people, some
brothers are taller than
others. I'd say the smaller
may get some additional height
up to about 18 mo. but he may
not. Hard to say. Just the
way the genes fall. Actually,
he just needs to grow a 1/2
inch to be ideal in size
according to the Doberman
Standard.
Q:
from Jim Gooss
Date: Wednesday, August 20,
2003
Time: 18:42:00
Comments: Breeding the
Doberman
We
just purchased a three month
old female Doberman to
eventually be bred with our
eleven month old male
Doberman. However, when we
received the females three
generation pedigree from AKC
we realized that they both
share the same
great-grandfather. If we breed
them, first is it safe and
second can the litter be
registered with the AKC? Thank
you for your time. I look
forward to getting your
response.
A:
from Judy Bohnert, Equinox,
Canada
Absolutely...that is what is
termed a line breeding. Before you do breed though please get any and all
health testing on both dogs
done as well as learn all that
you possibly can about
breeding and whelping. It is also hoped that you would show your dogs to their
championship before you would
even consider breeding them.
Q:
from Craig Rallion
Date: August 19, 2003
Time: 04:41:49
Comments:
Doberman Health
My
Doberman excretes bloody
diarrhea every time I feed him
Purina HiPro dog food. Is this
related to the dog food or are
there other causes?
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans,
USA
You need to first get a fresh
stool sample and along with
your dog, go to the
veterinarian and follow
his/her advice. First you must
check for internal parasites
then go from there.
*** *** ***
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Most top brand dog foods are fine
for most dogs, however some dogs may have an allergy to some of the
ingredients. If the diarrhea is ONLY caused when feeding this food, common
sense tells you to discontinue it.
I would however take a small sample of the bloody stool in to the Vet as well
as take your dog for a complete examination. Could be hookworm or whipworms
or coccidiosis or Giardia. Many things may cause bloody diarrhea.
Do not waste time. See your
Veterinarian. It could be quite serious.
Q:
from Natalie C.
Date:August
16, 2003
Time: 21:13:56
Comments: Puppy Cost $
I am purchasing
a puppy this winter and I am
curious to know how much I
will be spending at my vet.
The ears and shots, etc.
(thanks)
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans,
USA
I
think part the answer to this
question will depend on where
you live. I live in Northern
California which I believe is
a lot more expensive than a
lot of areas. Your
Veterinarian or his
receptionist should be able to
give you this information over
the phone.
One thing that I can tell you
though is that most breeders
have the ears cropped before
you get the puppy. I don't
know if you have a puppy
picked out yet but that is
something that you can look
for and easily find in a
breeder. That is, a puppy
already cropped and
some of the vaccination
program already started.
Another thing is oftentimes a
breeder can help you with the
ears if you are close and/or
they can set you up with
another breeder in your area
that can help. There are
articles on this web page that
can help you too with the
after care of the ears
(taping).
I hope I was able to provide
some assistance to you.
*** *** ***
A:
from Darlene Young, Darwin
Dobermans, USA
The cost of vet services vary
from State to State but you
can expect to pay anywhere
from $200.00 to $300.00 for an
individual ear crop. Shots
can cost quite a bit at the
vet but a lot of states have
shot clinics where you can
take your puppy in for a much
lower cost. Check with your
local pet stores for these
clinics. However, you do need
to be sure you are getting
good vaccination protection
from Parvo and other puppy
illnesses.
Some vets will charge you for
an office visit and vaccine
(usually $15-20 or more).
Most breeders order the
vaccines from a pet supply and
give their puppies the
parvo/distemper etc.
vaccines. If you have a
litter this is the least
expensive way to protect the
puppies.
Hope this helps.
Q:
from Phil
Date: August 16, 2003
Time: 8:09:02
Comments:
Breeding the
Doberman
What causes the Dobie bumps
and how can you get rid of
them?
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans,
USA
A
person would have to have a
little more information about
your Doberman and possibly
even see him/her before they
could advise you. I would
advise you to take your
Doberman to your vet.
Sometimes young Dobermans get
what I call a staph infection
call folliculitis that causes
bumps. It is normally treated
with an antibiotic for 3-4
weeks. He could also have an
allergy or any number of
problems. Please see your
veterinarian about these
bumps.
Q:
from Angie M
Date: August 15, 2003
Time: 18:20:06
Comments:
I
have rescued a 1 1/2 year old
male Doberman/Chocolate Lab
mix from my local SPCA. His
coat and markings look like a
red Doberman but his head and
body shape are Lab. I have
also just purchased a red
Doberman puppy (female) who is
9 weeks old right now. The Lab
is fixed and she will be too
as soon as she is old enough.
Right now they get along
famously. He is very patient
with her and you don't
normally see one without the
other. He lets her take food
away from him as well as any
toy he is playing with.
Sometimes she seems to be very
aggressive with him (growling,
barking in his face, jumping
at his head). He deals very
well with this and I always
try to separate them when she
gets too excited.
This is my first experience
with a Doberman puppy and I
was wondering if this is
normal puppy behavior or
should I be doing something
other than separating them and
making her calm down? I have
had experience with this breed
in the past but always with
adults. I'm a little unsure
what pups generally act like.
Any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated.
Also she seems to want to eat
my cat. She will listen to me
when I tell her no but she
consistently goes for the cat
every time until I make her
stop. The other Dobermans I
had co-existed with my cats
without a problem so I know it
can be done, any suggestions
other than get rid of the cat?
A: from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans,
USA
Don't get rid of the cat! You
need to start teaching your
new little Doberman her
parameters. When she chases
and bites the cat or your
older dogs face or your hands
or whatnot, you need to
intervene and go to her and
tell her "NO" or "LEAVE IT"
(in a growl like tone-like
mamma dog would) and stay with
her and keep at it (correct
her) until she stops and then
praise her. Another way is to
do all of the above and tell
her NO, GOOD GIRL when she
stops and give her a toy
saying "TAKE THIS". If she is
really wild you can take her
by the scruff of the neck and
push her to the floor using
the growling tone and the word
"NO"! One of the articles
below explains this further.
Your puppy is not too young
for you to start training and
for her to learn the word,
"NO" as well as other things.
There are several articles on
this site for you to read for
guidance. Here are a few of my
suggestions:
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/nipnipping.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/outmeansno.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/Isaidwait.htm
You can also check out our
articles page for yourself for
more -- it is located at
www.breedered.com/article_menu.htm.
You can also buy the book,
Super Puppy, How to Raise The
Best Dog You'll Ever Have, by
Peter J. Vollmer at
www.superpuppy.com for
$8.95. It will be a great
investment.
Again I say that your puppy is
not too young to start
training and learning the
word, "NO". I have a saying
and that is anything that you
do not want your dog to do at
60 to 90 pounds, don't let her
ever do it at any age. I hope
that this helps.
Oh yes, give your older dog a
break from her too once in a
while. Also teach the puppy to
respect him while he is
eating. One day she will but
she should still learn to do
so now. You need to be the
boss of the dogs. The longer
that you let her get away with
this disrespectful and unruly
behavior, the worse she is
going to become.
Q:
from Melissa McKie
Date: August 7, 2003
Time: 13:39:11
Comments: Feeding
I
will see the vet Saturday when
we go for our Proheart but I
want to call upon your
expertise as well. My 12
month Doberman has very loose
stool. I feed him Innova dry
food which is supposed to be
very good and is expensive.
The only supplement I give him
is fish oil/omega fatty acid
capsule (forget name of
product) every other day. I
used to feed him Nutro but at
6 months his hair was splotchy
and I didn't know if he had a
food allergy or staph. Treated
staph with vet, had thyroid
checked (normal) and changed
diet. His coat looks great but
loose stool every day.
Somebody mentioned switching
to Natural Brand by Royal
Canin. Any thoughts on the
what to feed a Doberman? I
loved Nutro but it didn't have
things like apples and carrots
and other vegetables. My
Doberman loves the taste of
Innova. Thanks so much.
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
Just as in people, some foods
do not agree with every dog.
If the stools are just soft
and not formed well and only
once or twice a day, it may
not be much of a problem. If
they are "puddles" and
frequent then he's not
absorbing his food.
First have a complete stool
analysis done by the Vet to
rule out anything else that
might be causing the problem.
You might mix half and half
this food with another and see
what happens. Otherwise,
forget the brand and go for
something else.
*** *** ***
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans,
USA
I
looked and I see that Judy has
answered this. This girl might
also need to check the dog for
parasites, worms, coccidia or
giardia.
Q:
from: BK
Date: August 6, 2003
Time: 5:02:16
Comments: Doberman Health
My
16-month red female Doberman
recently started what appears
to be trying to bite her tail
or lack thereof. I'm not sure
if it's biting her tail or if
she is trying to scratch
herself. It seems very
peculiar as she does it
abruptly as if she is trying
to catch a bug. When she does
it she tends to want to stay
down and not want to get up.
Also, all of a sudden she
refuses to go to bathroom in
the place we have trained her
to go to bathroom in our
yard. Also, she seems to
shake off (like she is wet)
more often than typical.
I have read about various
behavioral disorders and was
wondering if these are known
behavioral or physical related
problems. Any insight you can
provide is appreciated.
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans, USA
I
think that if this behavior is
a new thing that she could
have a sore or something new
going on with her tail. I am
sure that you have inspected
it pretty thoroughly.
Sometimes at this time of year
flies sit on the tail and the
edges of the ears and bite
away. You can try a product
called Fly's Off and spray it
on the tail and ears for that
particular problem.
Other than that, I don't know
what to tell you except see a
veterinarian.
Q:
from Michael Miles
Date: Wednesday, August 6,
2003
Time: 02:36:01
Comments: Doberman Health
I
just adopted a 21 month old
red Doberman. His prior owner
let the cropped ears flop. Is
it to late to correct. Or can
something be done?
A:
from Judy Bohnert, Equinox
Kennels, Canada
I'm sorry but I think it is too
late to do anything about the ears IMO. I did know a 14 month old male that
this happened to though and the owner re-cropped him and both ears stood BUT
each dog is different. I will check with some other breeders though to be sure
and get back to you.
*** *** ***
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
It's usually too late to correct, but it might
work with taping. First of all, are you sure they are cropped to begin with?
If so, try taping ears as shown on our
eartaping
pages. You don't have to use the posts inside ears as you're not trying to
straighten them. Tape ears all the way up, then be sure to brace them
together as shown. Leave tape on for about 5 days but keep checking to make
sure no smell or irritation is being caused. If so, take them down
immediately.
If the ears will stay up for a short time then it
looks promising. Keep taping but make sure you take them down every 5 days,
leave them off for a while (hours to a day) depending on any sores. Clean
them thoroughly each time and keep trying. May take months to achieve if it's
going to work.
*** *** ***
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans,
USA
As the others say, try taping. Also you could take
your dog to a cropper that knows how to correct this problem.
You may be looking at a surgery of some sort. There are also a few methods
that can be tried. Your dog will look a lot better with the ears standing.
There are veterinarians that specialize in ear cropping around the country.
Depending on where you live, perhaps one of use can direct you.
Q:
from Eric Castillo
Date: August 4, 2003
Time: 20:43:52
Comments: Doberman Health
I
saw worms in my puppy's feces,
what does that mean and what
do I need to do?
A:
from Judy Bohnert, Equinox
Kennels, Canada
It
means your puppy has worms and
you need to get him to a
veterinarian to be de-wormed.
Q:
from Mark E. Georges
Date: August 1, 2003
Time: 15:41:59
Comments: Doberman puppy
with another puppy
We have a 3 month old male Pug
(about 6-7lbs) and are getting
a female Doberman puppy. The
female Doberman is 8 weeks
old, and I was wondering if
you think that we might have a
problem with the dogs getting
along since one of the dogs is
of much greater size than the
other.
A:
from Judy Bohnert, Equinox
Kennels, Canada
No
but you will have to police
their time together so that
the puppy understands that she
cannot bounce off the Pug nor
can she be too rough with it.
They learn fast. I have a
MinPin bitch and a cat who get
along great with my big guys
and vice versa. I know many
Doberman breeders that have
smaller breeds as well with
the same type of success that
I enjoy.
*** *** ***
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes,
USA
It
shouldn't be a problem,
however you should monitor
their time together constantly
while they are young as pups
don't know how strong they are
and the Dobe might injure your
Pug pup while playing. Once
they are old enough,
no problems should arise as to
size. The Pug will put the
Dobe in it's place, LOL.
Q:
from Diane Luck
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2003
Time: 10:38:42
Comments: Doberman Health
What is the best way NATURAL
way to have a shiny coat?
A:
from
Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA
The best way is to pretty much
leave it alone. If it's a
black there's usually no
problem. If Red or a Dilute,
limit any sun bathing. Very
few baths and if you do bathe,
make sure you use a good
conditioner after and rinse,
rinse,
rinse.
*** *** ***
A:
from
Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
A
natural way to have a nice
shiny and healthy coat comes
from within and also from
working with the coat from the
outside. A good diet with raw
fats and oils (vegetable,
peanut, walnut, etc) is
helpful. I personally like to
feed fresh raw beef
(hamburger) with 25% or more
as part of the diet. Some
kibbles are better for
Dobermans than others and your
location can play a role in
that too.
From the outside,
lots of petting is great. Also
daily brushing. Actually I
have found that a product
called Orange Wonder mixed
with water and you can add a
tablespoon of baby oil to that
(shake it up) and spray it on
the dog and wipe with a towel
with the hair coat. What you
want to do is brush and work
on getting the dead coat out
and you may need to get a
curry type brush too so the
new coat can come and by doing
this everyday you will rotate
the coat. It is sort of like,
out with the old and in with
the new, kind of thing. When
and if you bathe your dog ,
use a dog shampoo, not a human
one. The dog shampoo's ph
balance is correct for the
dog.
For more personal help, I can
help you with a diet, but I do
need to know how and what you
are feeding first.
Q:
from Shirley
Date: July 30, 2003
Time: 18:09:28 AM
Comments: ear braces
My Doby had her ears done at 9 weeks and after 5
wrappings she still has one ear that bends. Is their a brace out there to use
instead of the tapings? I have been taping and it still drops on the tip.
A: from Marj
Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
I usually tell people that in most cases you will be taping
ears until your pup is six months old and sometimes even older. There is an
article on our site that can help you with taping throughout the whole time. The
ears should be standing at 12 o'clock without flapping in the air when she is
moving around. Here is the URL to that article:
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/ears1.htm.
You can print the article out to have on hand
for reference. I recommend that you scroll to Advanced Taping Part 1 and
advanced Taping Part 2 by Carol Petruzzo. This article has photos and I feel it
is very easy to follow. Actually you have to just keep clicking next at the
bottom of each page until you get to those particular pages.
Q:
from Davianne Youngblood
Date: July 28, 2003
Time: 14:40:13 AM
Comments: Doberman Health
My Doberman just had her first period, she
started last Monday. When will she stop bleeding and when will she be in
heat? When do I need to keep her away from other dogs, males?
A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA
The day your bitch starts to
bleed is the first day of her
season. Dog people don't call
it a period. She will stay in
season approximately 3 weeks.
Keep her away from any males
from day one to day 21 and
even then, watch her closely.
I had one bitch conceive on
days 29 and 31. I've also had
them conceive on day 7, so for
the best prevention, keep them
separated. If she is not
going to be shown I'd have her
spayed a couple weeks after
she goes out of season and you
won't have to worry about it
any longer.
Q:
from Gilbert Badiola
Date: July 27, 2003
Time: 10:41:28 AM
Comments: Rottweiler
My 6 month old Rottie recently has had hair loss.
I asked my vet and he said that it is only a food allergy. Others say it is
mange. How would you know if it is mange or a food allergy?
A:
from Marj
Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
For mange (caused by mites) your vet will need to take a
skin scraping and
look at it under the microscope. For food
allergies your vet needs to do more testing or one can guess at it by taking
away one thing at a time to see if it corrects itself. I don't advise doing
the latter however.
Your Rottie could have any number of problems.
Perhaps you should get a second opinion from a vet who specializes in skin
problems?
If this were a six month old Doberman I would
guess that it might have a
staph infection which can be
cured with the correct
antibiotic. I am not a
veterinarian however and I
don't feel that either you or
I should be second guessing
and instead should get one or
more veterinarian's opinions.
On another note, we would like to remind you that
this is a Doberman site and as breeders/owners/fanciers of the Doberman, none
of us feel qualified to answer queries about other breeds. Hopefully in the
future you will be able to get some help from people that are in the know
about your breed of choice.
Q:
from Liz
Date: July 27, 2003
Time: 00:48:51 PM
Comments: Breeding the Doberman
Hi, My three month old puppy has suffered
conjunctivitis for over a month. The vet gave her some antibiotics, but they did
not work. I took her back again, and he told me not to worry about it, that it
will go away. But it is still there. Is this normal? What should I do? Any help
will be greatly appreciated.
A: from Marj
Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
I would treat this until it is cured. I don't
know what kind of medicine that your vet gave you but you may need try something
different. in the meantime use more of what he gave you.
Usually conjunctivitis clears up pretty fast.
Maybe it is something that is causing conjunctivitis such as an inverted eyelid
or dry eye or something.
Keep the eyes flushed out and clean (do this at
least twice a day) and maybe get a second opinion. I don't know what else to
tell you.
*** *** ***
A:
from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA
No Liz, This is not normal. I'd take her to
another Vet a.s.a.p.
-
Q:
from Marsha
- Date: July 26, 2003
I have a litter of pups that are 6 weeks old. We had three blues in the
litter and they are starting to get these little bumps on top of their head.
Kinda looks like a staph infection. I'd rather not but them on any
antibiotics due to their age, but of course I will if necessary.
-
-
I've been cleaning their heads
with a mixture of half
Listerine and half warm water
twice a day. Doesn't look like
much improvement but it
doesn't look any worse. ANY
suggestions would be greatly
appreciated!
-
-
A:
from Marj
Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
For staph bumps I mix 1 part bleach to 4 parts
water, a few drops of dish soap or dog shampoo (whatever you are comfortable
with) and some baby oil or Keri lotion. Wash their faces with this mixture after
they eat.
This prevents staph bumps and will get rid of
them. This treatment was given to me years ago by a vet. Since that time I have
improvised the formula to do even more. I am sure that this will help. Good
luck.
-
-
Q:
from Gilbert Badiola
- Date: July 22, 2003
- Time: 11:03:06 PM
Subject: Rottweiler
I have a problem breeding my three year old Rottweiler. I tried breeding her
five times already and nothing happened. It is her season now and although she
is kind of fat, could she still be pregnant?
A: from Marj
Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
I think that you need to see a veterinarian and
if she is not pregnant you need to see a reproductive specialist type of
veterinarian. Be sure that she is in good physical condition at the time of
breeding which also means that she should not be fat. Perhaps you need to have a
thyroid panel and a number of other tests done on her as well. Its even possible
that she is not being bred at the correct time in her cycle. There could be any
number of varied reasons. She is only three years old so you still have plenty
of time.
- Q: from
Wendy Gupton
- Date: July 20, 2003
- Time: 11:59:59
Comments: Breeding the Doberman
My Husband and I have a 9 month old blue male we
are in the process of registering with the AKC. We have a true love for the
breed. We would like to breed him. What age is appropriate and what educational
resources are out there to prepare us for breeding? Also, what is the best way
to advertise for breeding?
His markings are beautiful! He will weigh around
90 pounds. Please advise. Thanks.
- A: from
Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA
I am sorry to be so long in answering your
question but it does require a detailed answer.
First of all, breeding dogs in general is both a responsibility and an art. By
art I mean that a person must spend a lot of time learning quite a lot about the
Doberman before a breeding ever takes place.
At 9 months your dog is too young to be bred. By
that I don't mean that he cannot breed and sire puppies but that he is too young
to do a lot of the temperament and health testing that should be done on all
breeding stock before being bred. That health testing consists of Von
Willebrands Disease (VWD) testing, a full thyroid panel, hips and elbows
x-rayed, CERF test done on his eyes and last but not least, his heart should be
monitored with a 24 hour holter monitor or at least an eco-cardiogram and a
sonogram. All this testing should be done due to the inherent health problems in
the breed that make it imperative for us to routinely test all breeding stock.
For temperament tests, the DPCA has a WAE
(working aptitude evaluation) which is a series of exercises to test the dogs on
all of the descriptive words in our standard pertaining to the Doberman
temperament.
Secondly, you need to study and learn the
Doberman Standard to perfection so you can determine and evaluate your
Doberman's good qualities and his not so good qualities, both temperamentally
and conformationally (i.e. - his bone structure, angulation, muscling, et
cetera.
You need to know as much as possible about your
dog so you can determine which females you can accept for your blue dog and
which females you should not accept. For example, if your dog has a fault, and
they all do, you will need to breed him to an animal that is correct in that
deviation whether it is a temperament flaw or a conformation flaw. The same
works for health. If your dog is VWD carrier for example, you would need to
breed him to a female that is clear or if your dog is low thyroid, you would
want to breed him to a female that is normal thyroid. If your dog is sound
sensitive you would want a female that is not sound sensitive or if your dog is
lacking heavy bone, you would want to breed to a female who is not lacking in
bone.
Needless to say you would have to learn all that
you can so that you can make this kind of an evaluation and these kinds of
decisions about whether or not you can breed your Doberman to a given female if
at all.
Try to find a mentor in your area (I can possibly
recommend someone) to evaluate your dog. In this manner you can find out if he
is show quality and if he is, you may want to consider showing him in order for
prospective female owners to see him and ask about using him at stud. Normally
the female owners look for the male and come to you, not the other way around.
I am sure that there is a lot more that I could
tell you as I could actually write an book about this. At any rate, here are
some of the articles I recommend that you read, starting with the
Doberman Standard
of perfection.
The following are some articles about the
Standard that will help you to learn it in depth:
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/dobes_in_detail.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/doberman.html
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/judging_dobermans.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/doberman_on_the_move.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/how_the_standard_works.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/whys_of_standard_size.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/soundness.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/colorinheritance.htm
The following are some on Doberman temperament:
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/defining_temperament.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/suspicion.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/choices.htm
http://www.dpca-breedered.com/breeders_tools.htm
After you breed your dog, if you decide to do so,
you will need to learn even more because you are equally as responsible for the
puppies as the breeder (owner of the female) is.
Since you have a blue Doberman there is another
article that you should read too. It can be found at
http://www.seattle-attorney.com/storm/sup.html. There are many links within
this article that will help you learn all about the blue and fawn Dobermans and
the individual problems that they can have.
Remember that there are many more articles on
this site that can be read and/or printed out including those about a variety of
health problems that plague our Dobermans. Please don't hesitate to browse
through the site to find more. I hope that this helps you and again, if you have
more questions, feel free to ask.
- Q:
from Gail May
- Date: June 05, 2003
- Time: 4:03 PM
Thank you so much for your
tips, I will certainly try
them. I've noticed that when
I have Taki sit and I rub her
chest that has seemed to
help. Our other Dobe, Lady,
definitely has your "play bow"
to a science.
Let me ask you quickly what
you know works for their
pulling on the leash -- I had
a halter, collar set up on
them at the moment because
it's the only way I've been
able to walk them both
together -- I have 2 lines so
that I can carefully redirect
them when they start pulling
and not hurt their noses (I
used to train horses, so this
is easy for me to do). But I
will tell you frankly I'm
unsure which of the many, many
methods of "training" to use
to correct this pulling. As
long as the halter is on they
walk like little children --
the minute it's off, we're off
& running again. I know the
halter is only short-term and
I would dearly love to get
them into obedience/agility
training but I know we need to
have basic commands down
first.
Thank you again so much for
your help.
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans, USA
I
think that I would first train
them individually and teach
each one of them not to pull.
I, myself, use the words
"don't pull - walk nice" for
my commands but choose
whatever words work for you as
your command words.
There are a number of methods
you could try but here is one
that works for me. I prefer to
take my dogs for a walk with a
6 foot lead and a chain collar
and use the gentle jerk and
slack method with my command
words at the same moment as
the jerks. By jerk and slack,
it is sort of like reigning a
horse, just gentle (but one
that they can feel) repetitive
jerks and slacks on the collar
as you are walking with them.
If
the dog continues to pull, you
can surprise it by doing a
quick round about turn with
the leash tight and command
"don't pull" in a firmer voice
than usual (when the leash
corrects them from pulling)
and walk the opposite
direction for about 8 - 10
feet and turn around again and
do this a few times and then
continue on your walk. Don't
forget the command at the
right moment of the turn every
time. A few times with this
method and they usually "get
it".
After you get both dogs
trained try them together and
continue the training with
them together. Again, I hope
that I am explaining this so
that you can understand what I
am trying to portray.
Q:
from Gail May
Date: June 02, 2003
Time: 11:36 AMSubject: Training Older Dobes
I read your online training tips on showing Dobes
which were quite informative. We have rescued 2 females (1 1/2 yrs old) from
our local animal shelter and could use some training tips for everyday life --
specifically, one of the girls gets quite excited when we encounter other dogs
on our walks -- we're working it out slowly, but she still gets very excited to
see other dogs (there are lots in our neighborhood), is not aggressive to them
but wants to play, play and will bark and bark, jump, pull -- as I said she's
getting better slowly but there must be something else I can do to help the
process. Sometimes she will also drop low and bark at people -- it's not a real
protective stance, but I'm not sure whether she wants them to play or stay away
-- the bark is very different, it's longer & deeper. Can you recommend anything
or a good information site ? Many, many thanks.
A:
from Marj Brooks, Manorie
Dobermans, USA
I
think that training a dog to
calm down in their exuberance
over other dogs takes time and
if your girl is making
progress then just keep doing
what you are doing. Another
exercise that I like to do is
to stop walking and go up to
my excited dog and stroke
her/him very lightly from the
head down to the tail telling
him to relax or calm down
(some common word) until she
does and then continue on,
doing this every single time
she pulls or whatever.